Charles alkins



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. 0. ALKINS.

RAILWAY SWITCH STAND.

No. 414,133. Patented Oct. 29, 1889.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

0. ALKI'NS.

RAILWAY SWITCH STAND.

N0. 414.133. H Patented 0012.29, 1889.

n. PETERS. vm-um m. wan-mm ma NITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES ALKINS, OF MUSKEGON, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO HENRIETTA ALKINS, OF SAME PLACE.

RAiLWAY-SWITCH STAN D.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 414,133, dated October 29, 1889. Application filed September 24,1888. Serial No. 284,281. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it'known that 1, CHARLES ALKINS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Muskegon, in the county of'Muskegon and State of Michigan, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Railway Switch Stands, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to that class of devices known as switch stands for railwayservice, and is applicable to switchstands for operating either stub or split switches, my said invention being an improvement upon the switch-stand embodied in my application for Letters Patent filed April 25,1888, and numbered 22,200.

The more prominent objects of my invention are to prevent the hand-lever of a switchstand from being thrown to either side when the stand is set for automatic switching, to permit free automatic switching when the handle is locked, to permit the handle to be unlocked and operated for the purpose of operating the switch, to prevent tampering with the switch, to adapt the switch-stand for right or left switching, to permit the stand to be set so that it can only be operated from the switch, to provide extremely simple means whereby the stand can be operated by hand, and to provide certain details serving to promote the general utility and efficiency of switch-stands for railway-service,

In a switclrsta-nd characterized by my invention I provide a vibratory lever, which is to be connected with the switch through the medium of any known or suitable powertransmitting connection. For automatic work this lever may be left free to vibrate about its fulcral support, and as a means for automatically closing the switch after a train has run through the same the leveris suitably weighted. Said lever (which, for purposes of distinction, I shall hereinafter term the switch-lever) can, however, be operated by a hand-lever. The hand-lever can be locked while the switch-lever is left free for automatic switching, and, on the other hand, the hand-lever can, when so desired, be unlocked and operated, so as to actuate the switch-lever and thereby operate the switch. To guard by a passing train.

against the switch being tampered with when the hand lever is locked and the switch-stand left free for automatic work, the. weight to which the switch-lever is subject is arranged so that should any attempt be made to operate the switch-lever by lifting the weight the latter will rise free of and without in any wise affecting the switch-lever.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents in perspective a switch stand embodying my invention. Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same on somewhat smaller scale. Fig. 3 represents a vertical central section taken through the switch-stand on line 3 3, Fig. 2. This view also shows a section taken transversely through a railway track and switch with the latter connected with the switch-lever. Fig. 4 represents a section taken through the switchstand on a vertical plane indicated by the line 4 at, Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3, with the exception that in Fig. 3 the switch-lever is in position for holding the switch to the right, while in Fig. 5 the switch is understood to have been thrown to the left Said view also indicates in dotted lines the position of the hand-lever when the same has been operated to throw the switch to the left.

The lever A, hereinbefore termed the switch-lever, can be connected with the switch by any suitable power-transmitting connection, the rod B, herein shown as a connection between the switch-lever A and a switch C, being merely illustrative of a connection between two said devices. The vibratory rocker or switch-lever A is fulcrumed between a pair of plates or broad standards I), and is adapted for connection with such power-transmitting device as may be employed for connecting it with the switch. The hand lever E is pivotally supported between the standards and can be locked by any suitable locking device, such as a lock, or a pin, or other suitable means. For automatic work the lever can be swung to one side and locked, while the switch-lever A can be left free, whereby a passing train may throw the switch from the position shown in Fig. 3 to the position shown in Fig. 5, in which last-named figure the switch lever is understood to have been operated from the switch and moved about its fulcral support in opposition. to a weight F, that serves as soon as the train has passed to effect the automatic restoration of the switch-lever and switch to their first position.

As a means for operating the switch by manipulating the hand-lever, I provide be' tween the hand-lever and the switch-lever a power-transmitting connection, from which the hand-lever is separable,whereby the hand lever may be either separated from said connection to leave the switch-lever free for au tomatic work or brought into engagement with said connection, so as to permit it to operate the sam e, and thereby actuate the switchbeing in such case provided with gear-teeth g, which engage like teeth a upon the switchlever. The short lever G is also provided with a stop or abutment g, with which the hand-lever is to engage when the latter is operated. This movable stop or abutment may be varied in form, but is conveniently attainedby providing the lever G with a recess or socket g open at one side, whereby the opposite wall or side will serve as the stop or abutment. WVith such construction the lower end of the hand-lever can be pivoted within said recess or socket by the same pin or bolt that serves as a pivot for the lever G.

It Fig. 3 the switch-stand is set for automatic work, the hand-lever being thrown to the right and locked, .The disposition of the weight F in said figure causes it to normally hold the switch to the rightthat is to say, when thus viewed. The action of a train passing in a direction to throw the switch will in such case necessarily operate the switeh-lever A against the resistance of the weight, which;

' eration the power-transm1tting connection bewill be raised, as in Fig. 5, wherein the switch has been thrown to the left. During said optween the hand-lever and the switch-lever will be free to operate with the latter without disturbing the handlever, it being seen that in such case the short lever G will be free to turn about its pivot in a direction to swing its abutment g away from the hand-lever.

. This will be seen by comparing Fig. 3 with Fig. 5, the lever G in Fig. 3 being held by the weight, to which it is subject, in position to place its abutment 9 against the handlever, while in Fig. 5 the partial turn of the hand- 7 lever has turned the lever G about its pivot .in a direction to throw its abutment away from the hand-lever. As soon, however, as the train has passed the weight will restore the switch-lever and the lever G to their respective positions shown in Fig. 3. The disposition of the weight in said figure also serves to normally maintain the power-transmitting 7o connection in engagement with the hand lever, whereby, for example, should the handlever be unlocked from its position shown in full, Fig. 3 it can be swung to the other side,

as indicated in dotted lines, Fig. 0, and there locked, if desired, it being obvious that when the lever (shown to the right in Fig.3) is unlocked and swung to the left it will operate lever G, which will in turn actuate the switchlever, and hence raise the weight, as in Fig. 5, and shift the switch. Upon unlocking the lever (assuming it to be to the left) it can be thrown to the right either by hand or by the weight, in which case the weight will drop, as in Fig. 3. The hand-lever can therefore be used to throw the switch one way, while the weight can be employed to throw the switch the other way; and, again, the lever can be swung one way and locked, whereby the switch-levcr may operate automatically, since the power-transmitting is separable from the hand-lever and adapted to permit free automatic work on the part of the switch-lever.

It is also understood that, while the weight is herein shown at one side of the pivot for lever A, it may be arranged at the opposite side of the same, thereby adapting the stand for right or left switching. 1

While the levers A and G can be protected in various ways-as by a cover or by a suitable formation of the standards D-it is possible that a meddler might raise the weight, were it rigid with the switch-lever, and thereby throw the switch. To defeat such act, I secure the weight upon an arm f, which, while it normally engages the switch-lever, is pivoted separately therefrom. By said -means the weight and arm can be lifted without affecting the switch-lever, and hence an attempt to raise the weighted arm with the intent of throwing the switch would result simply in a rise on the part of the weighted arm. Said weighted arm can be either pivoted upon the low the arm to normally rest upon the bottom of its recess a. 'For'ordinary purposes,however, a cover is not necessary, since even should a portion of the lever A be within reach, the arm formed by such portion will be so short as to render it impracticable for any one to throw the switch by an attempt to directly manipulate the switch-lever. It will be seen, therefore, that should the hand-lever be permanently locked in position to permit automatic switching, said switching can only be accomplished by a passing train.

The signal-rod H is arranged alongside the stand and can be operated in various ways from either the hand-lever or the lever G;

but by preference one of the standards is gear or gear-segment h on the signal-rod and a gear-segment g on the lever G, as in Fig. 4:.

From the foregoing it will be seen that the power-transmittin g device, which is intermediate of the hand-lever and the switch-lever, permits the hand-lever to operate the switchlever, but also allows the switch-lever to operate automatically and independently of the hand-lever. Vhen the hand-lever is in engagement with the lever G, herein present as a preferred construction of power-transmitting device, and said hand-lever is swung in a direction to shift the switch, the hand-lever and the lever G temporarily unite, and, in connection with the lever A, form a compound lever. It will therefore be evident that while the lever G is shown gear-connected with the switch-lever A, other known or suitable means employed in other instances for connecting together two elements or levers of a compound lever could be employed for connecting the lever G with the lever A; and hence, for the broader purposes of my invention, I do not limit myself to such specific gear-connection.

1. In a switch-stand, the combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of a vibratory switch-lever pivoted upon a stationary bearing on the stand and arranged for connection with a switch, ahand-lever pivoted upon a stationary bearing on the switch-stand and hung separately from and operative independently of said switch-lever, and a temporary connecting device intermediate of said two levers and comprising a movable stop or abutment which is independentof the handlever and conn ected with the switch-lever, said movable stop being arranged with relation to the hand-lever so that the latter may, when swung in one direction only, engage and move said abutment, for the purpose described.

2. The combination, substantially ashereinbefore set forth,with a weighted switch-lever to connect with a switch, of ahand-lever, and an intermediate power-transmitting connection consisting of alever engaging the switchlever and pivoted to swing independently of the hand-lever when the latter is thrown to one side, for the purpose described.

3. The combination, with the switch-lever that is to connect with a switch, of thehandlever E, and an intermediate power-transmitting connection consisting of the lever G, connected with the switch-lever and having an abutment with which the hand-lever can engage, substantially as and for the purpose described.

4. The combination, in a railway-switch stand, of a vibratory rocker or switch-lever A, a hand-lever hung to vibrate independently of said switch lever, a temporary connection intermediate of said levers and consisting of a movable abutment arranged so that when the hand lever is thrown to one side and locked the switclrlever may freely vibrate, and the Vibratory weighted arm arranged to normally rest upon the switch-lever, but pivoted so that it can be lifted inde pendently thereof, substantially as and for the purpose described,

5. The combination, with the weighted switchlevenwhich is connected with a switch, of the lever G, gear-connected with the switchlever, the signal-rod H, connected with the lever G, and the hand lever arranged for engagement with and disengagement from the lever G, substantially as described.

6. The combination, substantially as hereinbefore set forth, of the vibratory rocker or switclrlever A, pivoted between the upright side plates D of a switch-stand, the vibratory weighted arm arranged to normally rest upon said switch lever, but pivoted to allow it to be lifted independently of the same, and a short vibratory lever G, which is confinedbetween the side plates of the switch stand and gear-connected with the rocker or switch-lever A, for the purpose described.

CHARLES ALKINS. Witnesses:

XV. VAN ARKEL, Jr, (J. W. PAYNE. 

